Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-25

tors were arrested and prosecuted Tor
violating the Sunday law, jury was Sc
lected that in two instances declared The
law unconstitutional. The native Ameri-
cans are considerably worked up and ILL
feeling is likely to grow out OF the affair.
The leading papers of the city, though
conducted by Americans. are giving the
law-breakers encouragement, as they
must do in order to follow the tread OF
public sentiment. Thus we have in Texas
q city controlled by foreigners by birth
and sentiment, who refuse to obey the
laws of the country, and whose preju-
dices are so strong as to influence juries
to violate their oaths, ignore their sworn
duty to weigh the facts. and arrogate to
themselves the prerogative of the judge
and pass upon the constitutlonalitY OF a
law. This raises a question OF consider
able moment: Supposing some other
county should fall into the hands OF a
people who would conspire to ignore and
defy the law against larceny or murder?
Supposing that when one of their number
was arrested for, say the crime arson,
that jury should be sworn to
"well and truly try the case" and
that that jury should ignore the facts
and declare the law unconstitutional?
How would punishment be visited upon
the guilty? Would the Governor send the
rangers to the scene, or would martial
law be proclaimed? The same question
arises in San Antonio to-day. The con-
stitutionality of law is not question
which jurymen are usually called upon
to decide. 1t is safe to say that if local
prejudice were Withdrawn, the jury would
not question the constitutionalitiy Of the
law. To say that these men are anarchists
would be doing great Injustice to many
good men, who would hesitate long
before throwing bomb or blowing up a
house with dynamite, yet the principle
involved is just the same IS in the case OF
the Chicago anarchists, and il those who
DEFY law in San Antonio are less guilty
than those who defy law in Chicago it is
only in degree. Most is now in jail
charged merely with making speech
calculated to incite people to violate the
law, and Most is less guilty than those
gentlemen in San Antonio, VINO openly
and detiantY violated the law themselves.
The anarchists were not hung for the
reason that they committed murder, for
that would have been revenge, g quality
unknown to the law, but for violating one
of the laws of the country, which says
that it is unlawful to commit murder, and
this is satisfaction, not revenge. The
open and defiant violation of the Sunday
law by people who otherwise probably are
exemplary citizens, simply because il
conflicts with their desire, or is inimical
to their interests, may effect but little
harm in itself, but it is step toward
other violations of law and encourage
ment for those who profit by the
infraction of other laws. Ii the San
Antonio saloonkeeper can violate with
impunity, one of the penal laws of the
land because he is opposed to it, or be-
cause it conflicts with his interests, the
western horse thief, the hfghwaymsn and
the burglar can use the same process of
reasoning and arrive at conclusions
authorizing them to steal, rob and
burglarize. Law is law and should be
respected and obeYed. tits one of the
characteristics of the American people
that they would sooner obey 8 bad law
than violate it, and this springs from the
fact that they are sensible of their powers
and privileges, and that they can change
any law at will. Foreigners unscquainted
with the theory Of our government
and the character of our institutions,
and who seek to elect a judge of
their own way Of thinking and
obey him instead Of the law, are prone to
mistakes and misconceptions. They
either regard the law as permanent
| fixture, or else they have contempt for
| 1t and are only too anxious to show their
contempt by violating it. The saloon
men OF the Alamo City are venturing too
far upon the dangerous pathway of Amer.
lean forbearance. The verdicts of the
juries are simply dlsgraceful, and the Sc
lection of such Jurors as great bur-
lesque upon justice as If twelve pro-
nounced anarchists had been selected to
try the cases of their seven fellows In
Chicago. But, while American forbear-
ance and federation is great, those who
test them TOO much tread upon bridge
of ashes underneath which is the molter
lava. The onslaught upon the law By
the San Antonio saloon men may be the
alpha which they will have cause to re-
greet. Neither the coddliDg of poll
ticians nor the encouragement given by 9
not too independent local press will evel
lessen the respect which the American
people have for their country's laws anC
institutions. II it is to be case of Law